Hybrid–PIC simulation of sputtering product distribution in a Hall thruster

Cao, X.; Hang, Guanrong; Liu, Hui

doi:10.1088/2058-6272/aa7940

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…present, many kinds of thrusters have been studied using this model, such as the Hall thruster [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26], TAL thruster [27], etc.…”

Section: Cathode Boundarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of the position relationship between the cathode and magnetic separatrix on the discharge process of a Hall thruster

CAO 曹,

MA 麻,

XIA 夏

et al. 2024

Plasma Sci. Technol.

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Previous studies have shown that there is an obvious coupling relationship between the installation location of the external cathode and the magnetic separatrix in the plume region of Hall thruter. In this paper, the particle-in-cell simulation method is used to compare the thruster discharge process under the conditions of different position relationships between the cathode and the magnetic separatrix. By comparing the distribution of electron conduction, potential, plasma density, and other microscopic parameters, we try to explain the formation mechanism of the discharge difference. The simulation results show that the cathode inside and outside the magnetic separatrix has a significant effect on the distribution of potential and plasma density. When the cathode is located outer side of the magnetic separatrix, the potential above the plume region is relatively low, and there is a strong potential gradient above the plume region. This potential gradient is more conducive to the radial diffusion of ions above the plume, which is the main reason for the strong divergence of the plume. The distribution of ion density is also consistent with the distribution of potential. When the cathode is located outer side of the magnetic separatrix, the radial diffusion of ions in the plume region is enhanced. Meanwhile, by comparing the results of electron conduction, it is found that the trajectories of electrons emitted from the cathode are significantly different inner and outer sides of the magnetic separatrix. This is mainly because the electrons are affected by the magnetic mirror effect of the magnetic tip, which makes it difficult for the electrons to move across the magnetic separatrix. It is the main reason for the difference in potential distribution. In this paper, the simulation results of macroscopic parameters under several conditions are also compared, which are consistent with the experimental results. The cathode is located inner side of the magnetic separatrix, which can effectively reduce the plume divergence angle and improve the thrust. In this paper, the cathode moves from R = 50 mm to R = 35 mm along the radial direction, the thrust increases by 3.6 mN, and the plume divergence angle decreases by 23.77%. Combined with the comparison of the ionization region and the peak ion density, it can be found that the main reason for the change in thrust is the change in the radial diffusion of ions in the plume region.

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“…present, many kinds of thrusters have been studied using this model, such as the Hall thruster [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26], TAL thruster [27], etc.…”

Section: Cathode Boundarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of the position relationship between the cathode and magnetic separatrix on the discharge process of a Hall thruster

CAO 曹,

MA 麻,

XIA 夏

et al. 2024

Plasma Sci. Technol.

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“…As the thruster is an axisymmetric structure, in this work we use a 2D axisymmetric simulation. This model has been used to study Hall thrusters [24,25], multi-cusped field thrusters [26,27], near-wall conductivity [28], and power deposition on the wall and erosion [29]. The simulation area includes the channel and near field plume area.…”

Section: D Calculation Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of neutral gas supply position on wall erosion of Hall thruster studied by particle-in-cell simulation

Cao¹,

Xia²,

Liu³

et al. 2023

Plasma Sci. Technol.

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In this work, we have carried out the simulation study on the discharge process of Hall thruster under the conditions of different neutral gas radial supply positions based on particle-in-cell method (PIC) and Monte Carlo collision method (MCC). This paper compares the two-dimensional (2D) distributions of neutral gas, plasma and the distributions of wall erosion related parameters under different neutral gas supply positions. The comparison results show that the change of the neutral gas supply position will affect the radial distribution uniformity of the neutral gas and plasma in the channel. From the comparison of the density peaks, it can be found that the neutral gas density and the plasma density peak under the upper gas supply condition are relatively low, and the plasma density peak is 22.49% lower than the density peak under the middle gas supply condition. Meanwhile, as the radial position of the gas supply moves from the lower gas supply to the upper gas supply, the position of the ionization zone also gradually moves toward the anode. The comparison results of erosion related parameter distribution show that the change of gas supply location has obvious influence on erosion rate and erosion range. In terms of erosion rate, the wall erosion rate is relatively low under the upper gas supply condition, and the peak erosion rates of inner and outer walls are 33.3% and 29.9% lower than those under the other two conditions. In terms of erosion range, the gas supply position moves from the lower gas supply position to the upper gas supply position, the erosion range gradually increases from 5 to 7.5 mm.

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“…The increase in discharge chamber volume may decrease the ion density or increase the plume divergence sufficiently to reduce thrust [37]. Sputtered wall material can also coat the anode and enter the plume, which may impact discharge electrical characteristics [72][73][74]. Shagaida et al [19] proposed that erosion can lead to an increased proportion of non-propellant neutral particles in the discharge chamber and that this decreases thruster performance by lowering propellant utilization efficiency.…”

Section: Thruster Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Plasma-Induced Hall Thruster Erosion

Brown

Walker

2020

Applied Sciences

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The Hall thruster is a high-efficiency spacecraft propulsion device that utilizes plasma to generate thrust. The most common variant of the Hall thruster is the stationary plasma thruster (SPT). Erosion of the SPT discharge chamber wall by plasma sputtering degrades thruster performance and ultimately ends thruster life. Many efforts over the past few decades have endeavored to understand wall erosion so that novel thrusters can be designed to operate for the thousands of hours required by many missions. However, due to the challenges presented by the plasma and material physics associated with erosion, a complete understanding has thus far eluded researchers. Sputtering rates are not well quantified, erosion features remain unexplained, and computational models are not yet predictive. This article reviews the physics of plasma-induced SPT erosion, highlights important experimental findings, provides an overview of modeling efforts, and discusses erosion mitigation strategies.

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Hybrid–PIC simulation of sputtering product distribution in a Hall thruster

Cited by 6 publications

References 18 publications

Influence of the position relationship between the cathode and magnetic separatrix on the discharge process of a Hall thruster

Influence of the position relationship between the cathode and magnetic separatrix on the discharge process of a Hall thruster

Influence of neutral gas supply position on wall erosion of Hall thruster studied by particle-in-cell simulation

Review of Plasma-Induced Hall Thruster Erosion

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